CHAN BOCK YEAN ALVIN Class: 3/2

My dream school would be a place for everyone to be engaged in learning, where everybody would be excited to go to school. It would be where teachers would not be stressed when teaching their students and even the cleaners of the school would not have a hard time cleaning the school. I want my dream school to be a utopia for everyone.

First of all, the school infrastructure must be modern. The school infrastructure is important for all students to make them feel as if the school is their second home. The school will have air conditioners in every room. There will be steel doors for protection from terrorists or intruders. There will be a huge 500-seater theatre with professional lighting and sound, walls filled with art around the school and a herb garden. Everything would be eco-friendly towards the environment and cater to the well-being of the students. It will be a healthy environment for all students to keep them excited for school.

Secondly, the environment of the school will be a place to have everyone to be more creative, open-minded and have a good learning attitude. The school would have a learning hub and a virtual reality room to let the students have a sense of wonder towards the future. My dream school would be an eco-community and self-sufficient school. The school would be using solar panels to power most of the items in the school that need electricity. For example, the air conditioners and the school lights will be powered this way. By doing so, the school would save a load of money which can be pumped into a school fund for the students.

Thirdly, the school curriculum would be top of the line and the best in the world. The school curriculum will help students prepare for their examinations, and later on for their future. It would mostly be of subjects and co-curriculum activities that are relevant to the society. It would even include understanding of political and economic struggles faced by countries. Students can acquire political and economic know-how that will be directly relevant to what is needed to govern a country. This way, political and economic ignorance amongst youths these days can be eliminated, thus preventing them from being easily influenced or manipulated by the government. Students will also be allowed to suggest co-curricular ideas such as bake sales and out of school activities to let all students in the school have a say in the curriculum they are learning.

Lastly, the teachers would be highly-qualified, with the right amount of strictness and kindness while also being responsible, honest and with a passion for teaching. The students of the school will have to be engaged in learning and have the passion to learn. I want them to be hanging on the edge of their seats every day in class, intrigued by what they are learning. I also want them to have a positive outlook and an open mindset to better understand what they are learning.

My dream school’s main focus is to help everyone, not just students but also the teachers and cleaners. Everyone will have a life-long learning experience in my dream school; they will become more passionate and humble when learning. They will experience the many wonders of life through learning in my dream school. As Kofi Annan once said: ”Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”

HINS CHOO Class: 3/1

Good morning teachers and fellow Riversidians. My name is Hins Choo and I am the chairperson of the Environment Club. It has come to my attention that the usage of straws has been increasing rapidly in our school and I am here to stop it. Walking around the school, I realise that straws are ubiquitous as you can find them in classrooms and even on the canteen floor. I am here to fight for our environment and I am here to make sure that everyone has a part to play in ensuring the reduction of overall plastic waste.

The reason I am talking about the usage of straws is because straws can harm the environment and I want everyone in this school to be part of a collective action to save the environment and make the environment a better place to live in not only for you and me but also the animals that are affected. You may wonder, how can a thing like straws harm the environment? Even tiny pieces of plastics can harm the environment! Most plastic straws make it into the ocean because they are either left on the beach, dropped on sidewalks and streets, fall off of boats or are blow out of trashcans and transport vehicles. All it takes is a gust of wind or rainstorm to push these straws into waterways and into the ocean. Marine animals might think that the plastic straws are food and end up choking on them. This causes blockages within their digestive system and eventual death.

Firstly, in order for us to reduce the usage of straws, we should ban them its use. There will be benefits for the environment. If we are to keep using plastic straws and not dispose them properly or worse, dispose them directly into the sea, there will be more plastics than fishes in our oceans by the year 2050! If we do not take action as soon as possible, the environment will be in great danger. One day I was walking around in school and I saw a group of Riversidians throwing their rubbish onto the floor. Do you even care about the environment? Today you might throw rubbish onto the floor. Tomorrow you might throw the very rubbish that might kill the last of our marine animals.

Secondly we can upcycle the waste materials. Upcycling is different than recycling as upcycling lets you use your own creativity to refashion items like plastic bottles, tyres and such into something else. What used to be old will be new again. You can make plastic bottles into flower pots and even use tyres to make a table. Not only upcycling is fun and creative, it can also help save the environment by reducing wastes.

In conclusion, we should play a part in saving our environment and school and making it a better place to live in. I am sure if work together as a community, we can make this happen. Thank you for listening to me.

Luis Gerard E. Esta Class: 2/6

Nestled in the heart of Woodlands lies my favourite go-to hawker centre. Displayed above the entrance are 3-dimensional, polished stainless steel letters spelling out its name, lit by a luminous white light from behind, contrasting the dull, stained grey wall that they rest on.

Upon entering the hawker centre, one will be greeted by an ambrosial aroma of delicacies filling the air, so divine that they could almost taste the various scents. Neatly laid out between stalls are vibrant tables and chairs, blemished from years of use. Tiles in various colours and sizes cover the walls and floor. Suspended from the ceiling are incandescent lights, giving the place its lively ambiance. A low whirring of ceiling fans can be heard throughout the dining area, filtered out by the noisy chatter of diners.

  The hawker centre offers a wide selection of local and foreign cuisine, such as Chinese, Malay, Indian and Western food. Many unique stalls selling these culinary delights line the sides of the place, as their eye-catching multi-coloured signs attempt to attract the attention of diners. Usually seen around these stalls are long queues of all sorts of people donning school uniforms, suits or just regular, everyday clothes, constantly glancing at their watches with frowns on their faces as they wait in anticipation to indulge in their favourite meals.

  Once at the front of a queue, ready to order, one may be greeted by the toothy smile of the stall vendor, followed by a cheerful “Good morning!” As one awaits their food, they may be able to catch a whiff of it being prepared, together with the clattering of cooking utensils and sizzling of meat, if any, which can be music to one’s ears. They will be able to enjoy the dish, which was handed down from one generation to another, that is being prepared in front of your very eyes.

  A diversity of people can be found at the hawker centre, such as families having their meals together, students hanging out after school, old friends bonding and strangers having friendly chats with one another. Cleaners are ridding the areas of marks and stains and food leftovers, and stall vendors are busy preparing food for the customers.

  This hawker centre, aside from having delectable dishes, local and international, is able to bring people from all walks of life together and have them interact and socialise with one another. This is why it is my favourite hawker centre.

RENE KHOO YU HAN Class: 2/6

We have heard it all before, the anxious clattering of shoes in the Mass Rapid Transportation (MRT) stations up the stairs and escalators as people stream busily out to lead their lives, heading to a glass box high in the air to tap at a computer or ducking into a class room tensely ready for an exam.

  In libraries, students furiously scribble notes. In parks, marathon runners pound across the pavement. In Singapore, a society moving at breakneck speed, it is difficult to find a place where it is truly quiet, but one of the rare places that I find relaxing is a place of worship.

 People all need a sanctuary, a place they can go to hide and relax in times of severe distress. This usually has to be a place where people can be distracted from their daily routine, where one can go through their thoughts in a peaceful environment. A veil of calmness settles upon me whenever I step into a temple. Statues adorned with flowers stand as a sign of peace. The ceilings are high and the doors always remain wide open, letting in light and silence. The muted tones of the tiled floor, the robes in which monks and nuns don upon and the cushions which people kneel on only to emphasise the grace of the gods. The patient recitations of the monks wash away my worries as if they were waves on a shore.

Somewhere in the distance, a bell sounds, steady as the footsteps of a giant, freeing me from the rigours of my daily activities. When I squint a little out of the doors, a canvas full of nature’s colours come into sight. Trees and a pond filled with lotus flowers and fish which investigate the crumbs thrown in by a visitor.

  Everything is done reverently here, cautiously with the utmost attention to each and every detail, nobody hurries, bare feet more silently and slowly across the floor. The smell of incense sweeps through the air, as calm permeates through my body as I sit on the floor.

  Everyone who enters is silent; no questions are asked of me. Sometimes a playful bicker or a raise of eyebrows between my cousin and I, but all are welcome to simply contemplate. The traffic from the outside world falls away and there is only the worn wood of the humble shelves and unperturbed air of the temple.   It is only in this place that I find myself uncoiling. It’s a small oasis of peace where I can, for a moment or two, breathe, before plunging head first back into our hectic lives.

In an effort to support Singapore’s nomination to inscribe our Hawker Culture on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Culture Heritage of Humanity, three of our students wrote poems celebrating our Hawker Culture.

A Hawker Centre It’s a heavenly place, where all food lovers unite. Some may eat there, While some will tabao and eat at night.   Stomachs growling like a lion, While waiting in line. But as long as we get our food, it will be all fine.   The aroma of local food, like prata and chicken rice. Hovering like a fog in a city, oh, it smells so nice!   It doesn’t cost too much for a decent portion but it’s hard to decide what to eat there are just so many options!   When you see a tissue packet on a table, please just keep in mind, that seat is choped! So, don’t steal it, and just be kind.   By Muhammad Dani Mirza, Class 2/5

Hawker Centre You can See people looking for a place to chope vendors preparing for the hungry lot cleaners cleaning up the mess others made birds on tables, over food they fought. You can Hear gossip amongst close friends choppers delivering loud blows to meat plates and bowls just clinking around fried bananas sizzling from oil’s heat. You can Smell roti prata straight from the pan a hint of coins and cash coconut milk rice steaming around the corner leftovers from the trash You can Taste springy, sauce-soaked egg noodles curry rich in spice the sliced fish in your porridge fruit juice accompanied with ice You can Feel the breeze from the ceiling fans the hard plastic from your chair the appreciation hawker centres as around the world, they are rare By Kristen Teo, Class 2/5

Hawker Nostalgia The familiar smell of oil and chicken, the familiar sounds of the wok in the kitchen, the savory taste of fragrant rice, tissue packets laid side by side.   The hot afternoon with no air-conditioning paired with steaming soup from the stalls. Wiping sweat from my face. Delicious sauce with satay.   Hawker centres, They have all my favourites A Singapore trademark, not to be forgotten.   By Ngu Yi Xuan, Class 2/5

MUHAMMAD DANI MIRZA Class: 2/5

            A house is a place, but a home is a feeling. I feel that my old home in Bukit Timah was the place I spent most time in growing up. It was where most memories were made. Three of the most distinct memories I had of the place were definitely my bedroom, the backyard, and not to mention the dining area.

            My bedroom was definitely not a big one, yet I still spent most of my time in there. Upon opening the squeaky, wood-laminated door, I would be greeted by rays of sunshine that illuminated through the long, wide windows which occupied half of the wall. In front of the windows was where my huge, metal-framed bed was located. The bed practically occupied half of the room and emphasized how tiny the room was. Above my bed was where my bookshelf was. Papers and books, all squeezed into one little space. Beside my bed sat a drawer which stored all my clothes and other necessities. Opposite my bed was a study table, crammed into the corner. There would be barely enough space for me to do my things, but well, I somehow made it work.

           Located outside the balcony was the backyard, where I spent most of my time playing basketball. The place was covered all over with grass and potted plants planted by my mother. Somewhere in the center was where the basketball hoop was located. I would often get an earful from my mother as I would accidentally break some of her plant pots. Technically, it was not all my fault as her plants were literally everywhere! Even though I frequently received scolding from my mother there, it never stopped me from doing what I love.

            Last but not least, the dining area. It was the place where many bonds were strengthened. Every now and then, I would help my mother prepare the table for dinner. The table was located right outside the kitchen to make it convenient for the transportation of food. It was the where my parents and I would share our days’ happenings. More often than not, the stories shared were pretty interesting and hilarious! This allowed us to know more about one another and strengthen our ties. Like they say, a family cannot function without a strong, unbreakable relationship.

             All in all, I feel that these places in the house were where I made most of my memories. Even though I am not living there anymore, I definitely miss that place a lot. I am sure the feeling of home is still strong there.

JERROLD YONG Class: 2/5

If you are very curious, you will find this meaningful. I am honest, resilient and caring. Becoming close friends with me will bring you quite an adventure.

Firstly, I am very honest. I will always try to tell the truth and never lie. My honesty can be good for you as you can trust me. However, there is one problem. I am incapable of keeping secrets. If I am told a secret, I will definitely need to share it with someone. One time, my close friend told me that he liked one of the girls in my class. Now guess what I did next. If you thought I told my friends, you are wrong. I told the girl herself! If you want me to keep your secret, you must let me tell at least one other person to share my feelings about it with. I will try my best to control myself and not tell anyone else. Hence, I have integrity.

Secondly, I am resilient. I will always push myself to my limit and attempt to improve. But this quality mostly applies to physical activities, not for my studies. Whenever I go for my 2.4 kilometres run, I will become breathless very quickly but I always push myself to continue jogging. During a game of Frisbee, I always try to play attack and defence. During a Physical Education lesson, my friend decided to throw the Frisbee across the hall. Although it was very far away, I dashed at lightning speed to catch it. If you are looking for a good Frisbee player, you should join my team. Therefore, I like to persevere and conquer my difficulties.

Finally, I am caring. I will make sure that I fulfil my role as a friend and try my best to help you with anything you need, but do not rely on me too much. If you are weak in Mathematics and Science, today is your lucky day as those are my best subjects. I will also share food with you because my house is full of snacks. Thus, I am a generous person.

Becoming friends with me will be a thrilling roller coaster ride as I am thoughtful, resilient and honest. I cannot wait to meet and learn more about you. I hope that we will become friends right after we meet. Six words of warning, I never know when to quit.

KAREN LIM Class: 2/3

          I walked into my room and looking at the vast collection of books decked on the shelf, took out one to read. I was about to open the book to read the awaiting pages that were filled with beautiful contents. Out of nowhere, a bookmark fell out and as I picked the fallen bookmark, I smiled. This bookmark was a reminder of a long-forgotten time when I was wrongly accused. This incident will always be a precious life lesson. It all began four years ago…

          “Samuel!” a cheerful voice could be heard as I turn around to see my best friend, Nikolai, whom I had been friends with since we were babies. We were practically like family as we knew everything about each other. It was the start of our journey as secondary one students and it was God’s gift that I had Nikolai there with me in the same secondary school, so I would not be lonely as I thought I would be. I said hello to Nikolai, as he smiled.

“I am glad to have you here, Sam!” Sam was Nikolai’s nickname for me ever since we were in kindergarten.

“Me too, Niko!” Of course, Niko was my nickname for him.

          The first few months were perhaps the best months I had ever encountered. Both of us were inseparable, but perhaps I had spoken too soon. Nikolai had recently gotten a new friend, Elizabeth. Every single day, he began to hang out with Elizabeth more and more often, constantly wagging his imaginary dog’s tail and going off to her instead, leaving me alone. But what Nikolai did not know was the fact that my bully was Elizabeth and she would do anything in order to make me suffer and that meant taking my best friend, Nikolai, away from me.

          Finally, she decided to make her move in class where all the students, including Nikolai were there.

“Samuel stole my wallet and used all my money!” Nikolai who had grown even closer to Elizabeth, stepped in front of me and looked at me with eyes filled with anger and betrayal.

“I never knew you would do something as despicable as this…” Nikolai trailed off as he hugged Elizabeth who was smirking at me while pretending to cry, enjoying Nikolai’s comfort. She went off, accusing me of all the wrong things she could think. I could hear the muted whispers from my classmates as I noticed in shock that Nikolai’s baby blue eyes contained something that I had never wanted to see – disgust.

          That was the breaking point for me as I glared at Elizabeth with unshed tears in my eyes. “Elizabeth!” I dragged her name as I shouted, I balled my fists as I smirked, seeing her surprised face. Nikolai seemed shocked that I was angry since he knew that I was a person with high anger tolerance, so it was very rare to see me angry.

“If you want drama, you know there is a drama club in this school, you should go apply for it, you have the skills.” I fired my insulting words at her as the class shouted, “BURN!”

“You, Nikolai.” Nikolai flinched as he knew that I would only mention his full name when I was utterly disappointed in him. “I am so disappointed in you. We have been best friends since we were young and yet you chose to believe your new friend whom you know for no more than a few months…” I trailed off and this time, it was Nikolai’s turn to be silent as he looked crest-fallen. “I am disappointed in you, Nikolai. Like really disappointed.” I said as I quickly took my bag and ran to the hidden spot in the library which Nikolai and I considered to be our sacred haven.

After what seemed like eons, I could finally hear footsteps coming nearer to my spot. Nikolai peeked at me, his eyes and nose all red and puffy.

 “I am sorry, Sam. Please do not be disappointed in me.” I just smiled and pat his soft raven locks. He reached for his back pocket and took something out. It was a bookmark, a hand-crafted bookmark. “I made two bookmarks, one for you, one for me.’ Nikolai explained as I took the bookmark and chuckled.

          After that day, Nikolai stopped talking to Elizabeth and gradually spent more time with me. I could feel the old Nikolai slowly coming back as I smiled and appreciate every single second with him.

          “Sam, I am back!” I went out of the room as Nikolai’s bright and cheerful voice disrupted my thoughts. I greeted him as he looked at the familiar bookmark in my palm. Indeed, I am glad that Nikolai chose my friendship over Elizabeth and that no matter what, true friendship will always conquer all challenges in life.

CHONG MALCOLM Class: 1/6

Write a letter to your primary school friend to tell him/her about your experience on the first day of orientation at Riverside Secondary School.

Dear Yu Heng,

How are you? Ever since you moved to America, the whole class has been missing you! How is it over there? Is the weather very cold? Anyway, that is not what I am writing to you about, I want to tell you about my first day at orientation camp! By the way, I am enrolled in Riverside Secondary School. You know what, I am in the same class as our primary schoolmate, Zi Jian and I am so happy about it!

At around 7a.m, we gathered in the school hall and the seniors divided every class into two groups: A for the people with odd-numbered index and B for people with even-numbered index. I was in B as I was number 26. Then, the class was split up to play some icebreakers with our Orientation Group Leaders (OGLs). We played ‘Splat’, ‘Bow Wind Blow’ and some other games. The best part was when we worked together to make an amazing group flag! We waved it around everywhere we went in the school to show it off. Though I thought it could have been decorated better, I am still proud to show that I am a part of 1/6B! All in all, I made two new friends during the ice breaker session and loved the first day of orientation!

Another memorable thing I thought was really funny was when 1/6B got into a bombing as well as cheering match with 1/4 along a corridor. First, let me explain what ‘bombing’ means before you get worried. At the hall, all of our OGLs taught us what ‘bombing’ was. For example, a class will start by shouting, “1/6 bomb, 1/6 bomb, 1/6 bomb to 1/4 bomb!” and in order to not lose, the class which got bombed needs to repeat the cheer and pass it on to the next class by shouting the cheer in unison. Do you get the game? When the OGLs taught this on stage, they also taught us some cheers like the ‘Banana Cheer’ and many other interesting and catchy ones! At the end of the day, my class won. The bombing match was really memorable!

On the whole, day one of orientation was great! I hope you read my email soon and let me know how you are doing in America. Take care and catch up with you soon!

Regards,

Malcolm

AUNI ZAFIRAH Class: 1/3

Write a letter to your primary school friend to tell him/her about your experience on the first day of orientation at Riverside Secondary School.

To: dracomalfoy@gmail.com

From: aunizafirah@gmail.com

Date: 18 February 2019

Subject: Thoughts on my new school, Riverside Secondary School

Dear Draco,

How are you? I am feeling wonderful. How is your new school? It has been over a month since we started our secondary school life in separate schools and I am so eager to share with you about my experiences in Riverside.

At first, I was really nervous and scared. I did not know where my class was located. However, after a few hours on the first day, I got used to the new environment and my nervousness reduced. I have made some new friends already – they are so friendly and approachable!

We had two days of orientation camp in the first week of school. On the first day, we were instructed to group ourselves into two groups based on our odd and even register numbers. I was in the odd numbered group as my register number is one. We had Orientation Group Leaders (OGLs) to help and guide us. After that, we played some interesting and fun activities together as a team. We displayed team spirit and enjoyed ourselves very much.

On the second day, we participated in more activities with different classes. Hours passed by and both teams within each class had to combine and work together. The OGLs told us we had to perform a dance and a few cheers in front of all the other secondary one classes, our teachers and parents. It took quite a while to learn the dance moves and cheers. A few minutes later, it was finally time for the campfire to start in the middle of the quadrangle. Our Principal, Mdm Shanti, lit the campfire and officially announced the beginning of the evening festivities. All the classes performed their dances and finally, it was our turn to perform. The song blasted out loud and we danced enthusiastically to it. In the end, we won the most supportive class award. The orientation camp finally came to an end at 8 in the evening. It was late but it was well worth it. The orientation camp was really exciting and I loved it, though I was exhausted after all the screaming and dancing.

I really hope things are going on well for you in your new school. Like me, I know you are also undergoing a new journey. You probably have already made a lot of new friends as you are such a warm and friendly person. I hope to hear from you soon. Take care!

With love,

Auni